Automatic linking of loyalty accounts of authorized users to loyalty accounts of primary users

Abstract

The present disclosure involves systems, software, and computer implemented methods for automatically providing linking partner loyalty rewards accounts using authorized user and primary user information associated with an account. One example method includes authenticating a user at a partner system, and receiving from the user information associated with an account. The information associated with user's account is communicated to a financial institution system via an API where the user can then be verified as an authorized user on an account. The financial institution system then provides the partner system with information associated with the primary user of the account, and the partner system can link a loyalty account of the primary user with the loyalty account of the authenticated user.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A loyalty account provider system comprising:
 a communications module; 
 at least one memory storing instructions for linking loyalty accounts; 
 at least one hardware processor interoperably coupled with the at least one memory and the communications module, wherein the instructions instruct the at least one hardware processor to:
 receive, via a user interface associated with the loyalty account provider system, credentials from a user; 
 automatically authenticate, by the loyalty account provider system, the user as associated with a particular loyalty account based on the credentials; 
 receive, via the user interface, credit account information from the authenticated user; 
 transmit the credit account information from the authenticated user, using the communications module and to a dedicated application programming interface (API) hosted by a financial institution computing system, the financial institution computing system managing a set of credit accounts, wherein the credit account information from the authenticated user is compared to a repository of account profiles at the financial institution computing system to determine whether the authenticated user is an authorized user of an account associated with a primary user, wherein the primary user is different from the authorized user; 
 receive a success message from the financial institution computing system via the API, the success message indicating that the authenticated user is an authorized user of a credit account of the primary user, wherein the success message comprises information associated with the credit account of the primary user; and 
 in response to receiving, via the API, the success message:
 link the particular loyalty account associated with the authenticated user with a loyalty account associated with the primary user by using the information associated with the credit account of the primary user, wherein the loyalty account associated with the primary user is associated with a set of earned benefits, and wherein, after linking the loyalty account associated with the primary user to the loyalty account associated with the authorized user, the set of earned benefits are applied to the loyalty account associated with the authorized user. 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the set of earned benefits comprise perks, and rewards points, and wherein the rewards points are redeemable for rewards. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 2 , wherein the authorized user of a linked loyalty account earns benefits based on transactions associated with the credit account of the primary user. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 in response to determining the authenticated user is not an authorized user, return a failure message, wherein the failure message comprises an error code, and wherein the loyalty account associated with the authorized user is not linked the loyalty account associated with a particular primary user. 
 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the account information comprises:
 an account number or partial account number and at least one of: 
 a name on the account; 
 a date of birth of the account holder; or 
 an address associated with the account. 
 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the account information associated with the authorized user is linked to the loyalty account associated with the primary user. 
     
     
       7. A computer-implemented method for linking loyalty accounts performed by one or more processors associated with a loyalty account provider, the method comprising:
 receiving, via a user interface associated with the loyalty account provider, credentials from a user; 
 automatically authenticating, by the loyalty account provider, the user as associated with a particular loyalty account based on the credentials; 
 receiving, via the user interface, credit account information from the authenticated user; 
 transmitting the credit account information from the authenticated user, using a communications module and to a dedicated application programming interface (API) hosted by a financial institution computing system managing a set of credit accounts, wherein the credit account information from the authenticated user is compared to a repository of account profiles at the financial institution computing system to determine whether the authenticated user is an authorized user of an account associated with a primary user, wherein the primary user is different from the authorized user; 
 receiving a success message from the financial institution computing system via the API, the success message indicating that the authenticated user is an authorized user of a credit account of the primary user, wherein the success message comprises information associated with the credit account of the primary user; and 
 in response to receiving, via the API, the success message:
 linking the particular loyalty account of authenticated user with a loyalty account associated with the primary user by using the information associated with the credit account of the primary user, wherein the loyalty account associated with the primary user is associated with a set of earned benefits, and wherein, after linking the loyalty account associated with the primary user to the loyalty account associated with the authorized user, the set of earned benefits are applied to the loyalty account associated with the authorized user. 
 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the set of earned benefits comprise perks, and rewards points, and wherein the rewards points are redeemable for rewards. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the authorized user associated with a linked loyalty account earns benefits based on transactions associated with the credit account of the primary user. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 7  further comprising:
 in response to determining the authenticated user is not an authorized user, return a failure message, wherein the failure message comprises an error code, and wherein the loyalty account associated with the authorized user is not linked the loyalty account associated with a particular primary user. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the account information comprises:
 an account number or partial account number and at least one of: 
 a name on the account; 
 a date of birth of the account holder; or 
 an address associated with the account. 
 
     
     
       12. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions executable by a computer and, when executed, cause the computer to:
 receive, via a user interface associated with a loyalty account provider system, credentials from a user; 
 automatically authenticate, by the loyalty account provider system, the user as associated with a particular loyalty account based on the credentials; 
 receive, via the user interface, credit account information from the authenticated user; 
 transmit the credit account information from the authenticated user, using a communications module and to a dedicated application programming interface (API) hosted by a financial institution computing system, the financial institution computing system managing a set of credit accounts, wherein the credit account information from the authenticated user is compared to a repository of account profiles at the financial institution computing system to determine whether the authenticated user is an authorized user of an account associated with a primary user, wherein the primary user is different from the authorized user; 
 receive a success message from the financial institution computing system via the API, the success message indicating that the authenticated user is an authorized user of a credit account of the primary user, wherein the success message comprises information associated with the credit account of the primary user; and 
 in response to receiving, via the API, the success message: 
 link the particular loyalty account associated with the authenticated user with a loyalty account associated with the primary user by using the information associated with the credit account of the primary user, wherein the loyalty account associated with the primary user is associated with a set of earned benefits, and wherein, after linking the loyalty account associated with the primary user to the loyalty account associated with the authorized user, the set of earned benefits are applied to the loyalty account associated with the authorized user. 
 
     
     
       13. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the set of earned benefits comprise perks, and rewards points, and wherein the rewards points are redeemable for rewards. 
     
     
       14. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the authorized user of a linked loyalty account earns benefits based on transactions associated with the credit account of the primary user. 
     
     
       15. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of  claim 12  further comprising:
 in response to determining the authenticated user is not an authorized user, return a failure message, wherein the failure message comprises an error code, and wherein the loyalty account associated with the authorized user is not linked the loyalty account associated with a particular primary user. 
 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the account information comprises:
 an account number or partial account number and at least one of: 
 a name on the account; 
 a date of birth of the account holder; or 
 an address associated with the account. 
 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the account information associated with the authorized user is linked to the loyalty account associated with the primary user.